Island



` F. GRINNELL.

' APPARATUS PGB. EXTINGUISHING'PIRS.

INVENTORI (Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. GRINNELL.

APPARATUS vPOB. EXTINGUISHING FIRES.

No. 269.205. Patented Dec. 19, 18,82.-

INV'ENTGR (Model.) 3 Sheets- Shet 3.

F. GRINNBLL.

A l APPARATUS FOR BXTINGUISHING FIRES. Nmzgos. N Batenteaneo, 1.912- A WITNESSES: mv-mToR:

N. PEYEIIS pur. waniwm. ma

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FREDERICK GRINNELL, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUlSHlNG FIRES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 269,205, dated December 19, 1882,

Application filed March 9, 1881; (Model.)

To all -w/Lom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK GRINNELL, of the city ot Providence, county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement', in a System for Extinguishing Fires; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in a system ot' pipes distributed through a buildingfor the purpose of extinguishing any accidental tire that may occur, and thus protecting the building and its contents.

The invention consists in the use of an automatic device by which the air is discharged from the supply main or mains and the Waste of water prevented, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In large manufacturing establishments the system ofpipes and sprinklers, whether the same are automatic in their action or have to be operated by hand,are usually supplied with water from a ire or force pump, which is usually located at some distance from a large part of the works, and npreferably outside the buildings. The pipes leading from the pump to the system ot' extinguishers or sprinklers are at all times full of air, which, when the pump is started, is forced into the system of pipes, and in an automatic system has to be forced through theone, two, or more distributers that have been opened by the lire. Such a large quantity of air forced through one or a few distributers would require a long time to be discharged, and while adding air to the lire would prevent the water from-reaching the same. Instead, therefore, ot' extinguishing the tire, it would assist the same. To relieve the pipes ofthe air and automatically close the outlet when the air is discharged, I supply such a system of pipes with one or more air-traps.

Figure lis a perspective view ot' a building i provided with a system ofpipes and automatic fire-extinguishers,th'esupply-mainbeingshown provided with an air-trap. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one form of air-trap, shown open for thedischarge ot' air in solid lines and closed iu broken lines. Fig.3is aview, partly in section, showingthe outlet-portami stem on which the air-trap is supported. Fig. at is a view, partlyin section, of a modified form of air-trap and the connecting-pipes.

Similar letters ot reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A Arepresent the differentstories of a building protected by a system ofautomatic tire-extinguishers. B is the rising main, and C O are tbe lateral mains, through which the water is forced' tothe dstributers. D is the supply-main, E the air-trap, and F a check-valve. The whole represents a system in which water is kept in the pipes supplied by a tank, and in which after an alarm has been given the tire-pump is started to furnish the maiirsupply of water.

A system otl automatic tire-extinguishers may consist ot' a system ot' pipes containing neither Water nor air under pressure, and in which the water is forced into the pipes 'after an alarm has been given, the automatic portion ot the system consisting in the distributers near the tire being open and all the rest closed, so that all the water is concentrated on the tire. In such a system the air-trap would be located at the upper end ot' the rising main B, or atthe end ot' the lateral mains C, so that the air would be discharged first, and as soon as the water would reach the air-trap the' outlet would be closed, aud the whole 'force of the water concentrated on the tire. A system ot' open sprinklers may also be relieved ot the air by means of an air-trap.

Referring now to Fig. 2, representing the aintrap E, a is a pipe, on the end of which a stem provided with a port is made to support the air-trap, so that a partial vrotation on the stem b will open or close the. outlet. d is a hollow arm, communicating with the vessel e, at the upper endV ot' which the outletj'is provided, the lower end being provided with a valve or petcock to discharge the water. The supply-vessel is counterbalanced by the ad- `justable weighth, placed on the arm g, and secured by a clamp-screw.

The operation of this air-trap is as follows: In its usual position the weight h counterbalances,or, it may be, more than counterbalances, the vessel e, a stop being provided, so that the` balance-weight will keep the open arm dopposite the port c, allowing the air to escape by IOO the openingf. As soon, however, as the water reaches the portfitwill iiowinto the vessel c, and, soon overcoming the weightof the balanceweight h, will tilt the vessel and close the port, so that any desired pressure may now be maintained in the pipes. t

The airtrap shown in Fig. 4 consists in a valve,t, suspended below the pipe D, the stem ofwhich is connected with the vessel K at l. The mouth m of this vessel is made large, so that the air issuing` from the valve t' can escape freely. When, however, the water reaches the air-trap, it will pass through the:\'alvc into the vessel K, and the weight of the water will soon overbalance the connterbalance-weight h and close the valve, as is shown in broken lines in Fig. 4.

To prevent the water that may accumulate in the pipe l) by reason of the leakage ot' the valves from ruiming into the air-trap and closing the same, the chamber g is placed .preferably one on each side of the air-trap, to receive such water from leakage, and a valve or outlet is provided at or near the bottom, by which the water can be readily discharged.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by LetterslPatentl. In combination with a system of pipes arranged in a building for extinguishing tires, an air-trap constructed to relieve the system,

upon the advance of the water, of the bulk of air normally contained therein, substantially as before set forth, whereby but little air requires to be expelled through the opened distributer or distributers.

2. rlhe combination, with a system of pipes and distributers supplied by the pipes, of one or more normally-open air-traps, through which the advancing water discharges the bulk of the air from the pipes, and which close automatically when the water is discharged, as described. i

3. The combination, with the pipes 13,0, and D, of the air-trap E, constructed to remain open for the discharge of the bulk of the air normally contained in the system, and to close when water is being discharged, as described.

4. An air-trap consisting of' a dischargeopening for the air or Water, a valve keptopen by means of a counterbalance-weight, and a vessel arranged to receive the discharging water, constructed to close the valve when sutli cient water has entered the vessel to overbalance the counterbalance-weight, as described.

In witness whereot' I have hereunto afiixcd my name. y

FREDERICK GRINNELL.

Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, Jr., WM. L. GooP. 

